


Drugged Apple

by Diary



Series: Where the Apple Falls [7]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Bechdel Test Pass, Canon Character of Color, Conversations, Family, Friendship/Love, Gen, Kate Argent-centric, Late Night Conversations, Minor Allison Argent/Scott McCall, POV Female Character, POV Kate Argent, Poisoning, Pregnancy, Pregnant Kate Argent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-16
Updated: 2016-03-16
Packaged: 2018-05-27 02:18:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6265702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diary/pseuds/Diary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reposted under different title. At around six months pregnant, Kate comes back to Beacon Hills. Complete.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Drugged Apple

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Teen Wolf.

In a warehouse, a man sets a briefcase down and says in accented English, “As promised.”

Picking it up, she answers, “Ta.”

Before she can turn around, the door opens behind her.

“This man claims her right to sell is questionable,” she hears.

Reaching into her pocket for her Taser with her free hand, she turns and sighs when she sees Chris.

Letting go of her Taser, she demands, “What in the hell are you doing here?”

“A better question would be: Why in the hell are you selling Grandmother’s sword?”

“No,” she snaps, “my question is the better one. There has never been any doubt I’m the inheritor, and until now, you’ve never cared what-”

“You’ve been refusing to take my calls. Allison is noncommittal when I try to talk about you, and now, I find out you’re selling our family’s weapons to mobsters.”

“Alleged,” one of the men interjects. “My boss has never been convicted of anything.”

“I don’t have to answer to you, Chris.”

“Since there was no will, legally, I can challenge you.”

Rolling her eyes, she sets the briefcase down. “I’ll be back once I handle my brother.”

She’s handed the sword back. 

“Let’s go,” she orders.

…

In his car, he says, “I thought we were getting along better.”

She scoffs. “I don’t know which is worse: You making me look weak and controllable in front of mobsters, or you making me look shady as sin. Either way-”

“This isn’t the only weapon you’ve sold recently.”

“Tried to sell,” she corrects. “And do we need to discuss boundaries again? I generally don’t try to find out what’s going on in your life. Unless Allison gets me involved or I’m helping with a hunt, you and Victoria are free to do whatever you want sans any comment or interference from me.”

“Considering some of the things you’ve done-”

Taking a deep breath, she retorts, “Oh, here we go. Time for my list of sins courtesy of the golden boy.”

Seeing he’s about to say something, she holds her finger up. “Don’t. I should have done this a long time ago. I’m cutting ties, Chris. You want the damn sword? Take it. You want everything I’ve inherited, legally or unofficially, over the years? Fine. I’ll even pay for the shipping. You want the money from the weapons I’ve sold? Give me a month, and it’ll all be in your account. But I’m done. With you and hunting. Your code is safe from being broken. Your kid made it to adulthood without me permanently screwing her up. In addition, if you come near me again, I’ll hurt you. Unless you want to see if your self-righteousness can take you defending yourself and killing me, I’d suggest you don’t.”

“Kate-”

Opening the door, she says, “Goodbye, Chris. Having Allison in my life was worth putting up with you.”

She leaves the sword behind.

…

When she’s calmed down, she calls Chris and rolls her eyes when his voicemail comes on.

“I don’t know what you know about the night Gerard died, but he’s not dead. He held a knife to my throat, and I stabbed him. I watched him bleed out. But that tree stump Derek calls a nemeton must have done something, because he’s the one who helped track down the alpha who bit me. Derek’s watching out for Allison, but you might want to figure out a way to break this to her. Your call.”

…

A package containing the sword, a DVD, and a note arrive at her hotel.

She locks the DVD and note up unwatched and unread and sells the sword.

…

When she can’t effectively restrain the budge in her stomach anymore, she goes to Beacon Hills and calls Derek.

“Kate,” he greets.

“Hey, I’m coming over to your house.”

“Okay,” he agrees. “We’re not there, but the spare key is still under the third potted tomato plant. Do you need me to bring anything?”

“No. I’ll talk to you, later. Bye.”

“Bye.”

She hangs up and suddenly feels a prickling sensation against her neck.

Withdrawing her Taser, she stops and looks around.

A large, lizard-like creature lands in front of her, and her Taser has no effect. Before she can draw her gun, it scratches her and disappears.

She takes two steps, feels herself falling, and only just manages to turn so she lands on her back instead of her stomach.

This, she quickly realises as the sun relentlessly hits her eyes, might not have been the best idea.

She can’t close her eyes or wiggle her toes.

Stay calm, Kate, she tells herself. Stay calm. Try to call out.

Her mouth is frozen shut.

Please, she thinks, don’t let me and my daughter die like this.

Followed by: Seriously, a human-sized lizard?

She doesn’t know how long it is, but suddenly, the sun is blocked. “What,” she hears Cora’s voice demand, “is wrong with you?”

Is that one of those questions where you answer it yourself, she wonders, or-

Her rambling thoughts are cut off by a pair of sunglasses being slipped on her. Then, she feels herself being lifted up.

…

“Derek, I didn’t do this,” Kate hears from her position on the couch, “but something is wrong with Argent. No, not her. Kate Argent, the one who killed Uncle Peter.”

Cora’s bizarre pet everyone insists on calling a tortoise makes itself at home against Kate’s socked feet.

“On the couch. Giuseppina is watching her. Yes, I’m sure she’s completely paralysed. No, that’s the thing. All I smelled was her. It’s fine. Derek, really, it’s fine. You know I didn’t want to go on that study date, anyways. Seriously? As much as I don’t like her, at least, when you’re focused on her, you aren’t focused on- Your best friend when you were my age was a psychotic hunter who went on to kill our uncle!”

Kate realises she can slightly wiggle her left pinkie finger.

“Alright,” Cora says, and Kate realises she’s off the phone. “Derek will be here soon. He said not to call your niece just yet.”

In her peripheral vision, Kate sees the evolutionary impossibility is standing on her back legs and placing her feet on Cora.

…

“I’m not going to the hospital,” Kate insists.

“But they have the equipment to make sure you’re okay,” Isaac says. “Our, uh, sense of smell and stuff can only go so far.”

“Sweetie, I know I’m okay. I’ve got good instincts, and I know my body.”

“I wonder what it’ll be like when I get pregnant,” Erica muses.

Kate sighs when every male in the room freezes and turns to look.

“What?”

“Friendly advice, sweetheart: It’s probably best to add something that implies you’re thinking about the distant future when you mention pregnancy.”

“Oh, come on,” Erica mutters. “I’m sixteen! I don’t even have a boyfriend, and if I wanted to have sex right now, I’d be making sure I had protection, which would mean talking to Derek, at least.”

Everyone relaxes, and Kate chuckles at the disgruntled look on Erica’s face.

“W-what about, um, Boyd,” Isaac inquires.

“What about me,” Boyd asks.

“Well-” Isaac gestures towards Erica. “Her being pregnant.”

Kate motions for Derek to walk with her.

When they get to the kitchen, she tells him, “I looked at the bestiary. A kanima.”

“An abomination,” he mutters. “I’ve heard stories of shamans controlling it to kill those who’ve escaped justice.”

“According to the bestiary, the kanima is a transformed human. It doesn’t say how to kill it, how to figure out who the human is, or what causes it. There’s an entry about how werewolves might somehow be involved, but then, this is my family’s bestiary. If there’s any chance we can blame werewolves, we will.”

He looks over.

Rubbing the small of her back, she continues, “I know you won’t like this, but I have a responsibility to call Chris down. I’m not in shape enough to handle this on my own, and I’m not going to risk Allison trying to take something like this on by herself. In the meantime, I have to get the hell out of dodge before they see me.”

“You’re leaving town? Now that we know something might be after you, we can protect-”

“First, your idea of protecting me involved me drugged out of my mind and locked in an abandoned subway station.”

At his look, she adds, “Nothing personal, kid. Second, no one, not even Allison, knows about the baby. That is- you haven’t told her, have you?”

He shakes his head.

“Good. This baby isn’t part of their family. She’s all mine. I won’t let Chris or Victoria near her.”

For a long moment, he’s quiet. “Everyone has regrets, but because of Peter, I have ones I shouldn’t.”

“Glad you understand.”

“Can’t you stay and avoid them?”

“What’s going on, Hale?”

“From what little I’ve heard, I got the impression only murderers were targeted by the kanima. I’m not interested in whether you’ve ever broken the code. You have killed. What if your baby is the only reason it didn’t kill you?”

“What, it’s pro-life? I’d make a sarcastic comment, but considering the track record of certain humans-”

He shrugs. “She isn’t viable, is she?”

“She just started kicking a week or two ago, but viable, no.”

“But it’s obvious to anyone that you’re going to have her,” he says. “We don’t know how much this kanima understands. If he or she is bound to only go after murderers, a pregnant woman in your stage of pregnancy might present a problem.”

“Why are you automatically assuming I’m a target rather than just someone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time? Most supernatural creatures will take down a nearby hunter even if the hunter isn’t pursing them or the active target.”

“I’m not assuming anything.” He sighs. “There haven’t been any mysterious deaths in this town recently or unusual sightings. You arrive, and suddenly, you’re lying paralysed in the woods. I just want to make sure, if something is after you, it doesn’t get you.”

“Sweet,” she says, “but our priorities differ. If this thing is after me, I have to lead it as far away from humans as I can.”

“You’re not the only Argent in town,” he reminds her.

She mutters a few choice words while catching the phone he tosses her.

…

“And you waited until now to tell me,” Allison practically roars.

“You were relatively safe in-”

“Kate!”

She winces. “Oh, dear God, you’ve got your dad’s roaring disapproval down pat.”

“I’m coming over.”

“No, you’re not,” she declares. “This is Derek’s house, and you’re not coming over uninvited.” She tosses a knife in Derek’s direction when he starts to open his mouth. “And we sure as hell aren’t having a family confrontation here.”

“Fine,” Allison grits out. “But you’re safe, now? There’s no other damage?”

“None,” she promises. “Look, I’ll call you when I get to the hotel, okay?”

“Okay,” Allison agrees. “I love you, Aunt Kate.”

“I love you, too, baby girl.”

She hangs up.

“Did you just lie to her?”

“No. I said nothing about the hotel being in this town.”

“Kate.”

“Don’t,” she orders. “You don’t know what Victoria and Chris could do to me.”

“Do?”

She realises she’s said too much and resists the urge to kick, stab, and/or taze something.

“Are the others listening?”

He cocks his head. “No.”

“Look, it’s no secret I’m the black sheep of the family. In some ways, you know even better than them there’s a good reason for that. When Gerard- whatever in the hell went on with him, but when we all thought he was dead, I went psychotic. If you and I had come across each other during that time, one of us would be dead, and there might’ve been other causalities. I mean, you weren’t even in double-digits, but I’d still see you as nothing but a rapid animal.”

Leaning against the counter and lifting a foot up, she continues, “I’m very glad Chris kept me away from Allison. When it happened, I hated him and Victoria. They were the problem, not me, and all this other crap. Without going into detail, I finally started to get a reality check, and it took a lot of begging and jumping through hoops for them to let me see her again. And like I said, I know they did the right thing.”

“But they’re never going to forget that, and at best, they’re going to always make sure this kid knows who her mom once was. At worst-”

“At worst, what, Kate,” he insists.

“At worst, they may decide they’d provide a better home than me. Chris said all the right things last time, but,” she takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. “But he’s always going to see me as Gerard’s screw-up, wildcard daughter.”

Reaching over, she finds his hand. “I’ve never understood these people who run from their problems and try to hide. Peer pressure was never a problem for me, because, no matter what his faults, Gerard raised me to never deny who I am. When she’s old enough, I want my daughter to know, just like Allison sort of does, but until then, I just want a chance to raise her and love her and make the inevitable mistakes.”

“Let me help you, then.”

Opening her eyes, she chuckles. “I remember when you were sixteen and you promised you’d always protect me while I was around. I thought it was cute and sweet and, frankly, hilarious. And then, I found out you’d drugged me and locked me in an abandoned subway station. Sweetheart, you were a kid, and I made your world brighter. That doesn’t mean you’re obligated to keep trying to keep a promise I never, ever expected you to take seriously.”

“I don’t make promises I don’t intend to keep.”

“Uh-huh. So, when is Erica going to get that-”

“Promises I made when I’m half-asleep and have five different types of cookies directly under my nose don’t count.”

“Do too,” Erica yells. “You signed a contract!”

“You told me it was permission slip,” Derek mutters. He brings his hand up to his head.

“How long has she been listening?”

Appearing, Erica answers, “Since I heard my name. You know that, when I can’t get my dad to sign permission slips, I get Isaac to forge his signature. Plus, the PowerPoint, and the group vote, and-”

“Boyd made the PowerPoint for you, and Isaac is too terrified to vote against you.”

“Okay, but Boyd understands the importance…”

As Derek and Erica argue, Boyd appears and leads Kate to a chair.

...

Once she’s settled in a guestroom, she calls Allison.

 “Are you at the hotel?”

“No, I’m staying at Derek’s for the night. Look- Allison.”

“What,” Allison demands.

“Auntie has a secret, and if you come over tomorrow, I’ll let you in,” she finds herself saying. “But- Just come over, sweetheart.”

…

Kate oversleeps.

When she wakes up and stumbles to the kitchen, she finds Allison and Derek eating breakfast and comparing homework.

She belatedly remembers they’re actually going to the same community college, and then, Allison looks over.

As she sees Allison taking her in, she becomes aware of the fact she’s in a nightgown, her hair is a mess, and her stomach isn’t just protruding, it’s a weird mixture of soft and pointy and ill-portioned to the rest of her body.

“Oh,” Allison says.

“Yeah.” She eases into a chair. “I’m at about six months.”

“Did- Is he-” Allison looks at Derek.

“Allison. No. Derek didn’t even know until a few months ago.”

“Well, that’s a hell of a lot-”

“I don’t want your parents to know.”

Crossing her arms, Allison orders, “Talk.”

…

When Derek leaves, Allison says, “Well, I agree with Derek. You aren’t as strong as you usually are. For the baby’s sake, you need to let us protect you.”

“And if innocent people get hurt in the crossfire,” she challenges.

“If this kanima only kills murderers-”

Pushing away her surprise, she says, “Wrong answer. If this kanima goes after humans, it has to be stopped.”

“Then, we work to stop it and protect you.”

“I can still shoot a Taser and gun, you know,” she mutters.

“Do you remember when you taught me how to drive, and one day, I took the corner too sharp, and you automatically reached out to put your arm over me,” Allison asks.

“Of course,” she answers with a laugh. “Our arms bumped into each other.”

“You hate feeling powerless,” Allison says. “I know you’ve always tried to protect me without making me feel like that, but I still know the feeling. Scott doesn’t like it when I go out into the woods by myself, even though I’m literally armed and can run faster than most of the men in this town.  Mom and Dad- But the thing is, with the baby in the mix, you need someone to help you protect yourself. Let me and Derek do that, Aunt Kate.”

She sighs. “Kid, it’s my job to keep you safe.”

“It’s both of our jobs to keep the baby safe,” Allison counters. “You’ve always been the cool aunt; now, I’m going to be the cool cousin.”

“Deal,” Kate says.

…

After Allison leaves for Victoria’s birthday, Kate finds herself looking down at Cora in the living room.

“Sweetie, I understand that you don’t like or trust me, but think hard: What am I go to do? Steal some valuables? All you’d have to do is call the police and let them handle things. My brother would put me down if I hurt human officers. Fill your house with wolfs bane or something equally destructive? You would all smell it before you got close enough for you to hurt you. Put mountain ash around the house? I’d have to leave eventually. Burn the house down? Yeah, that’d suck for you, but it’d also make me a target, and none of you would actually be here to be physically hurt by it. Am I missing anything?”

“You could go into my room.”

“I won’t,” she promises. “Scout’s honour.”

“We don’t have-”

“Look,” Kate says, “I won’t go near your room.”

“Why are you so keen to get me out of the house? I’ve just been sitting in the living room this whole time.”

Kate bites her tongue.

She’s pretty sure even 1950s kids didn’t use the word ‘keen’ unironically.  

Sitting down, she says, “Okay, look, let’s get everything out. On the day I shot Peter, I was willing to let Derek kill me. That was real. It wasn’t some form of manipulation. And if I had my way, I wouldn’t have done it in front of you and him.”

“I don’t care,” Cora says.

“Yeah, sure you don’t,” Kate answers. “If our positions were reversed, I would have tried to kill you a hundred times over by now. You love Derek, and even if you don’t like what he’s doing, you trust him. When I thought your mom killed my dad, I loved my brother, but I didn’t trust or respect him.”

“Why am I not surprised?”

Kate continues, “Let me tell you something I wish someone had told me: You’re going to do things you regret while mourning. That’s a fact. It will happen, and no one, not even you, can stop it. But the worse thing is when you mourn someone, heal as best you can, and then, one day, realise you didn’t truly mourn _them._ ”

“For a long time, I thought Gerard was a hero. I thought he was one of the most moral, principled people ever. I thought he truly knew what was best for me and Chris. I didn’t handle it well when I realised how wrong that all was. So, cry for your uncle, badmouth me to your brother, hell, try to kill me again if you’re in the mood to get tazed, but listen, first.”

“Peter was not a good person. He cared for his family, but he didn’t prioritise them as much as you might think. I’m not a good person, either, but I have been there for Derek. Your brother had a good reason to be suspicious of how your mom and sister died, and he asked me for help. I gave it to him. Peter wasn’t ordering the death of a hunter that day. He wasn’t ordering Derek to handle a threat to the family. He didn’t like how close Derek and I were.”

At Cora’s look, she chuckles. “Yeah, he might have had a point. But you know, there were plenty of ways he could have handled it. What he chose to do was- Say you have a human, and stuff is going on with the pack that you don’t feel you can talk to anyone in the pack about, but you can talk to the human, to a certain extent. Then, your mom, Peter, Derek, whoever your alpha is, this family member that you love, tells you that the only way you can keep your place in the pack is if you kill this human.”

Cora shivers.

“That’s what your uncle did,” Kate tells her. “Forget that I’m human. Let’s not even bother with the question of whether I can possibly be called innocent. I was close to Derek. I shot Peter to protect the humans of this town, but by shooting him, I also made it Derek’s choice whether I deserved death. It wasn’t a question of kill someone he cared for and may or may not deserve death or risk being turned on by his family.”

“What does this have to do with you trying to get me out of the house?”

“Derek’s worried that you’re putting your life on hold because of my presence. You don’t need to. Once Allison finds a hotel she deems suitable for me, I’m gone. Until then, I don’t need to be around Derek’s worry, your restrained hostility, Isaac’s nervousness, Erica’s confliction, and Boyd’s- well, he’d probably be happier if Erica was more focused on whatever she normally focuses on.”

Kate still hasn’t gotten much of a read on Boyd, and it’s a bit disturbing.

“Fine,” Cora agrees. “There’s guava juice in the fridge, and if someone named Danielle calls, tell her I don’t have typhoid fever, I’m just out.”

“Typhoid fever,” she repeats.

“Certain people can’t be relied on to relay messages,” Cora grumbles.

“Okay.”

After Cora’s car is completely out of sight, Kate grabs her Tasers and gun, sets the security system, locks up, and leaves.

…

When she gets back, she finds Boyd playing with the evolutionary abomination.

“I thought you had a study date.”

“I did, but my study partner is having problems with her boyfriend and has decided the best way to deal is by overmedicating herself. You have blood on your cheek.”

“Ah, dammit,” she mutters. “Look, kid, I know everyone has decided I shouldn’t be hunting right now-”

“With all due respect, I don’t care, and it’s not my place to say anything.”

Digging a wipe out, she cleans her face and sits down. “Yeah, you don’t really say much of anything, do you?”

“I find it more useful to listen.”

“Not many people have the patience and restraint. So, what about when it comes to Erica?”

He looks at her curiously.

“She talks a lot, and you’re usually right there listening.”

“She’s the best person to listen to.”

“Yeah, why’s that?”

“Because, she’s the most interesting,” he answers.

Leaning back, she asks, “Does she know how you feel?”

“I’ve never asked,” he answers.

“Have you ever told her?”

“Yes.”

“And,” she prods.

He shrugs. “Either she didn’t understand, or she just wanted to ignore it.”

She looks at one of his heavy books. “Tell me, if I threw that at you, what would the damage be?”

“To me or to the book?”

“I suppose it doesn’t matter,” she mutters. “Aside from dangerous supernatural ones, I try hard not to inflict violence on teenagers.”

“I can be dangerous,” he informs her.

“Right,” she says. “So, do Isaac and Cora have anyone special?”

He shrugs.

“You know, in some ways, you remind me of Derek when he was your age.”

Apparently deciding he’s had enough of the messed up pregnant hunter his alpha has some bizarre feelings of protectiveness over, he pointedly picks up a book.

…

Later, Kate and Derek are watching TV when Erica appears out of nowhere and tackles Derek.

“Derek, Stiles asked me out! You have to take me shopping and help me with my makeup! Would it be weird to show up with cookies on a first date? Or a detailed outline of why Farscape totally kicks BSG’s ass? I still have the condoms, what about other forms of birth control? If this works out, are lacrosse games going to be a problem? Because, even if Stiles never plays, he’d still be my boyfriend, but Isaac’s gotten so much better since I started cheering him on, and if Boyd decides to try-out, of course, I’d have to cheer for him, at least, occasionally. Oh, God, what if Sheriff Stilinski-”

Finally getting free, Derek holds Erica upside down by the ankle while Kate mutes the TV.

Erica blinks. “Derek, why are you holding me upside down?”

Setting her right side up, Derek shoots Kate a pleading look. “Slow down, Erica.”

Erica takes a deep breath.

“Stiles is Scott McCall’s best friend, right,” Kate asks.

Almost bouncing, Erica squeezes her hands. “He’s Sheriff Stilinski’s son, and I’ve had a crush on him forever. But he’s never noticed me, at all. When I got the bite, that changed, but it was more like he was just trying to figure me out than anything. Lately, though, he’s been hanging out with me more. Does Allison like me? Maybe we could double-date. But not tonight.”

“Sit down, sweetie,” Kate orders. She coaxes Erica onto the couch. “Allison doesn’t know you very well, but I think she likes you just fine. When she gets back from Victoria’s party, if things are getting serious with you and Stiles, you can talk to her about a double-date. So, tell me how him asking you out came about.”

“Well,” Erica says, “today at lunch, he asked if he could sit down with me. We talked about Batman vs. Star Wars, and then, when lunch was almost over, he started babbling, which is normal for him, and then, he just sort of blurted out, ‘Would you like to go out on a date? With me, I mean? Tonight? Or sometime soon?’”

“Right,” Kate says. She can’t say why, but she has a bad feeling about this. “Would you like me to help you get ready for your date?”

“That’s a good idea,” Derek interjects. He touches Erica’s neck, and she leans into it.

…

Kate sits in Derek’s car for thirty minutes, and her heart sinks when she sees Erica dejectedly exiting the diner.

A gangly, odd-looking boy rushes after her and almost trips over his own feet.

Rolling her eyes, Kate gets out and calls, “Erica! Do you need a ride, sweetie?”

Erica looks over and sighs in relief. “That’s Kate,” she tells the boy. “Allison’s aunt. I’ll see you at school.”

He starts to say something, but Erica practically flies into the car.

Shaking her head, Kate tells him, “Whatever happened, you can talk to Erica tomorrow. Do I need to call someone for you?”

He shakes his head. “No, that’s okay. I have my jeep.”

Once he leaves, Kate gets into the car.

“How’d you know,” Erica inquires.

“I didn’t know anything,” Kate answers. “I just had a bad feeling and hoped like hell I was wrong. What happened, sweetheart?”

Wiping at her eyes, Erica lets out a whimper. “It’s because of you!”

“What did I do,” Kate asks in bewilderment.

“Sorry,” Erica mutters. “Don’t worry, I didn’t tell him anything.”

“Erica,” she demands, “what are you talking about?”

“Stiles wants to know what happened to Peter,” Erica sniffles. “With Talia and Laura, his dad thinks it was an animal attack. He’s suspicious about that, too. But Peter just disappeared. I said I’d never met him, which is true. I thought-” She trails off.

“I don’t understand, honey,” Kate says. “He asked you about Peter, and you told him a version of the truth. Did he keep pushing?”

“That’s why he asked me out,” Erica hisses. “He- he didn’t want to talk about it during school. But instead of asking if we could just hang out, which I totally would have said yes to, he asked me on a date. And the movie was awesome. He asked about the fact I used to be photosensitive, but I promised him it was fine. Then, we went here, and he kept asking about Peter. Finally, I just asked him if that was the only reason he asked me out, and the look on his face- He tried to babble his way out, but I could see the answer.”

Sighing, Kate leans over and pulls Erica against her.

“You know,” Erica says, “I never knew what I looked like during a seizure until someone took a video of me once and put it online. It happened during class. I started seizing at my desk, and everybody started saying how they should put something in my mouth, until some genius reads the card on my key ring, which tells them not to, because it could break my teeth. Do you know what happens next?”

Kate continues stroking her.

“I piss myself,” Erica says. “And they start laughing. You know, the only good thing about seizures was that I never remembered them, until some brilliant jerkoff had to go and put cameras into everybody’s phones.”

Moving away, Erica looks out the window. “And Derek doesn’t want me to be angry. He doesn’t want me to hurt anyone. So, I flirt with people and I try to be happy, because, I know I should be. What I wanted more than anything was to be healthy. And now, I’m more than that. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been.”

“You shouldn’t be anything you aren’t,” Kate tells her. Shifting in her seat, she adds, “I know how that can sound. One of the hardest things I’ve ever had to learn is that controlling your actions doesn’t mean going against your feelings. There’ll be problems if you hurt people, but if you’re angry or sad or anything else, you just have to be that until you’re not.”

“Isaac likes hanging out with me sometimes, but I don’t know whether he likes me or not,” Erica confides. “Derek’s in- Derek sees me as a kid. Cora is nice, but she’s not close to anyone. Boyd is even worse than Stiles. Why is it so hard to find someone who- I want a boyfriend, but I’d settle for an actual friend.”

“What do you mean, Boyd is worse than Stiles?”

“Boyd’s the closest thing to a real friend I have,” Erica answers, “but whenever I talk, he just looks at me, and I can see he’s just trying to figure me out. Or something out, anyways. I’ve asked him what, but he says he just finds me interesting.”

“Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”

Damn Victoria for having her birthday now of all times, Kate thinks in exasperation. If Allison were here, she might be able to handle this better. 

…

She sits down and puts her feet on Derek’s lap.

“Cora has her headphones on, and Isaac’s asleep,” he says.

Turning on the TV, Kate sighs when he starts massaging her ankles. “I think, tomorrow, you and the others need to do something special with Erica. And then, when Allison comes back, the three of us need to talk about Stiles Stilinski.”

“Okay,” he agrees.

She falls asleep while he watches TV and gently soothes her swollen ankles.

…

Gathering up the scattered pages of the morning’s paper, Kate puts them in order and pours a glass of guava juice. She takes a sip as she starts to read and promptly finds herself looking at a wet paper.

Something’s wrong, she knows.

Carefully, she sets the glass down and moves slowly towards the phone.

You have to stop, Kate, she realises. Lie down, and concentrate on keeping the baby in.

Lowering herself to the ground, she puts her hand on her stomach and feels frantic kicking.

“No, sweetie pie.” She tries to keep herself from rocking. “No, no, baby. Please, sweetie pie, fight to stay inside. You’re not strong enough for the outside world just yet. Please, sweetie pie.”

Vaguely, she’s aware of someone walking over and kneeling down.

“It’s too early for her to have the baby,” a familiar voice says, and she sees Maddie looking down at her. “Hale house. Don’t know the address. In the woods, we are.”

“Maddie. Just Maddie. Can you talk?”

Kate realises she must have zoned out because there’s suddenly a penlight shining in her eyes.

“My baby,” she says. “There was something in the juice.”

“Miss Argent, I’m E.M.T. Johana. Can you focus on me?”

“You have freckles,” she announces. “My baby?”

“We’re talking care of it,” the paramedic answers. “Here’s what I need you to do…”

…

She wakes up and tries to fight off her grogginess.

“Hi,” a doctor says. “I’m Dr Kline. How are you doing?”

She looks over to see Derek looking at her, and she wishes she knew how to read his expression.

“My baby,” she says through the dryness of her mouth.

“Here,” the doctor says. He gives her a glass of water.

She looks at it suspiciously.

“I’ll get you something sealed,” Derek says.

He disappears.

“The baby’s fine, Miss Argent,” the doctor tells her. “However, you’ll have to be extra careful throughout the rest of your pregnancy.”

“What happened,” she croaks out.

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out. You ingested an abortifacient, but the amount was miniscule enough we were able to-”

“No,” she interrupts. “No. I-” She tries to clear her throat. “If I didn’t want-”

“I didn’t say you had done so willingly,” the doctor says. “There were large amounts found in the guava juice. The police are trying to find out who’s responsible. In the meantime, your family is coming down.”

“Allison?”

“And the others,” the doctor agrees. “We couldn’t contact Miss Argent initially, so, we called her father, and-”

Kate starts to get up but finds Derek holding her arm. “Kate, Allison and I will handle things. If you try to move right now, you could lose the baby.”

The doctor looks at them in bewilderment. “How did- I’m sorry, is there a problem? We made every effort to contact Allison Argent, but when we couldn’t-”

After taking a few sips of the bottled tea Derek gave her, she demands, “Is Allison alright?”

“Yes, she’s fine. It was a simple matter of-”

“Is there any chance you didn’t tell my brother about the baby?”

The look on the doctor’s face is enough of an answer.

“Kate,” Derek says. “If it comes to it, I’ll protect you and the baby.”

She sighs, closes her eyes, and lets out a stream of curses.   


End file.
